1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play takes place in 1943 in Los Angels. Henry "Hank" Reyna, a Mexican gang member is the main character. His character has an almost alter ego represented by the Pachuco. Other characters include his family members, Rudy, Enrique, Lupe, and Dolores. The other characters that face the dramatic situation with Henry are Smiley, Tommy, and Joey. Other important characters are Alice, a reporter, and George, a lawyer. 2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion started pretty early on in the play with Henry and his friends being a arrested for a crime they did not commit. From there many of the characters are fighting to prove the boys innocence while at the same time, flashbacks are given to give background on the entire situaiton 3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events take place at this particular time because this is when America's "war on gang crime" began against certain minorities. The events helped lead to the actions that took place in the play and the Zoot Suit riots that pitted european service men against Mexican americans. 4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
The dramatic question in the play is whether or not Henry and his friends will be convicted and remain in jail. We first wondered whether not they would be found guilty and that question was answered towards the end of act one. Whether or not they would remain in jail for a crime they didn't commit is another question that comes up. For a moment, it appears that the question is answered, though the play created many ending for Henry Reyna. 5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
At first, Henry wants to be kind of left alone to live his own life and go into the military. The first obstacle that stops that is his and his friends arrest, a man vs society conflict. Henry battles with the Pacheco over the want to let George represent him and his friends or not. Henry wants to have hope, though at the same time, he doesn't want to be let down. Henry then wants to win the case and be found innocent, investing his hope into something risky. However, society stands in his way again due to the country's rampant racism. 6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
I think the most theatrical moment of the play is during the courtroom. From there we learn just on how big of a scale society is against the boys. The prosecutor manipulated the entire trial to his favor and he was supported by another man in power, the judge. And the jury who convicted them found them guilty of all charges even without any proper evidence. 7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The zoot suit is the main image. For those who wear it, it represented a sort of freedom for them and way to express themselves and at the same time, bring them together. To the those who didn't wear it, they saw it as something threatening and a way to label those who do wear it.
Another image may be Henry's gang perhaps representing unity and how they stuck together to very end. 8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
The main theme is racism. Henry and his friends were prosecuted for who they were. Racial profiling is another theme in the play. The court room was a prime example of it by not letting the boys change their clothes. Culture clash may be another theme. Their arrest helped cause the many riots that Alice mentions to Henry in a letter. 9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
I think the most important familial relationship in this play was Henry's relationship with his brother Rudy. From the flashbacks shown, Rudy tries to be like his brother, wearing the Zoot Suit, cause trouble by drinking so much and trying incredibly hard to get in a fight with another person from another gang. And Henry's worst fear is that something will happen to Rudy. Even after Henry is free from jail Rudy asks him why he didn't say he was there during the murder too. Henry literally tells him that he did it to protect him.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play takes place in 1943 in Los Angels. Henry "Hank" Reyna, a Mexican gang member is the main character. His character has an almost alter ego represented by the Pachuco. Other characters include his family members, Rudy, Enrique, Lupe, and Dolores. The other characters that face the dramatic situation with Henry are Smiley, Tommy, and Joey. Other important characters are Alice, a reporter, and George, a lawyer.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion started pretty early on in the play with Henry and his friends being a arrested for a crime they did not commit. From there many of the characters are fighting to prove the boys innocence while at the same time, flashbacks are given to give background on the entire situaiton
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events take place at this particular time because this is when America's "war on gang crime" began against certain minorities. The events helped lead to the actions that took place in the play and the Zoot Suit riots that pitted european service men against Mexican americans.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
The dramatic question in the play is whether or not Henry and his friends will be convicted and remain in jail. We first wondered whether not they would be found guilty and that question was answered towards the end of act one. Whether or not they would remain in jail for a crime they didn't commit is another question that comes up. For a moment, it appears that the question is answered, though the play created many ending for Henry Reyna.
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
At first, Henry wants to be kind of left alone to live his own life and go into the military. The first obstacle that stops that is his and his friends arrest, a man vs society conflict. Henry battles with the Pacheco over the want to let George represent him and his friends or not. Henry wants to have hope, though at the same time, he doesn't want to be let down. Henry then wants to win the case and be found innocent, investing his hope into something risky. However, society stands in his way again due to the country's rampant racism.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
I think the most theatrical moment of the play is during the courtroom. From there we learn just on how big of a scale society is against the boys. The prosecutor manipulated the entire trial to his favor and he was supported by another man in power, the judge. And the jury who convicted them found them guilty of all charges even without any proper evidence.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The zoot suit is the main image. For those who wear it, it represented a sort of freedom for them and way to express themselves and at the same time, bring them together. To the those who didn't wear it, they saw it as something threatening and a way to label those who do wear it.
Another image may be Henry's gang perhaps representing unity and how they stuck together to very end.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
The main theme is racism. Henry and his friends were prosecuted for who they were. Racial profiling is another theme in the play. The court room was a prime example of it by not letting the boys change their clothes. Culture clash may be another theme. Their arrest helped cause the many riots that Alice mentions to Henry in a letter.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
I think the most important familial relationship in this play was Henry's relationship with his brother Rudy. From the flashbacks shown, Rudy tries to be like his brother, wearing the Zoot Suit, cause trouble by drinking so much and trying incredibly hard to get in a fight with another person from another gang. And Henry's worst fear is that something will happen to Rudy. Even after Henry is free from jail Rudy asks him why he didn't say he was there during the murder too. Henry literally tells him that he did it to protect him.